Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 26 April 2021
E.S Rajesh, District President, Nicobar District, Bharatiya Janata Party along with Sandeep Kalyan, Ex-Zilla Parishad Member, Kishore Kumar Surin, General Secretary, BJYM, Campbell Bay and U Sitaram, Vice President, BJYM, Campbell Bay met Lalita Tigga, Assistant Commissioner (In-Charge), Campbell Bay and suggested some important measures to prevent the spread of COVID in Great Nicobar.
The leaders suggested to the Assistant Commissioner that all incoming passengers to Great Nicobar irrespective of their mode of travel should be tested on arrival with Rapid Antigen Test Kits to rule out any possibility of the virus entering the Island undetected.
Further it was also suggested that the passengers arriving by helicopter should also be quarantined for a minimum of 7 days, just as it would be done to the passengers arriving by ship.
The leaders also suggested that instead of sending passengers to home quarantine, the passengers should be quarantined institutionally by earmarking quarantine centres in each village. The leaders suggested that schools should be used for quarantine of the passengers and the relatives of the passengers should be asked to provide them with food. Proper security by police should be ensured at quarantine centres.
The leaders informed that the facilities such as mattress and blankets can be easily arranged by the quarantined passengers through their relatives and also offered volunteers who would ensure that the needs of the quarantined passengers are met.
Long and detailed discussion on every aspect of the plan was discussed with the Assistant Commissioner and the benefits of institutionally quarantining the passengers were informed to her.
Further, full support of the local party leaders were offered to the Assistant Commissioner in ensuring that Great Nicobar remains COVID-19 free and to prevent any locally transmitted cases, incase any positive case slips through undetected.
Currently when the passengers after arrival are home quarantined, the persons living in the same home are also quarantined, which causes problems for them. Further if the persons living in the same home with the quarantined passenger is allowed to go out freely then there is no point of the quarantine. The idea of a separate room within the home for quarantined passenger is not practical in all cases.
E.S Rajesh further suggested that the Govt. Departments should be asked to earmark some quarters for quarantine of their staffs arriving to Great Nicobar. He further added that the departments could provide facilities such as beds and food to their staffs.
Further the leaders requested the Assistant Commissioner, Campbell Bay that no one should be excused from the quarantine, not even the Govt. Employees to ensure the safety of the Islanders.
The Assistant Commissioner assured to take up the suggestions and demands with the higher authorities and then take a decision on it.